FANCY DRESS

It is dark as I write, the curtains are open and in the light of a street lamp in the lane I can see that it has begun to snow..All the old excitement seems to bubble up inside me and a hear the child inside my head saying “oh please let it settle.” I know better than to voice these childish thoughts as the two men in the house take a dim view of snow, they see only the disruption it causes.

I love snow, I grew up in a place where we were always snowed in during the winter months, sometimes for weeks. I have struggled through blizzards to reach the sheep and cows, I have spent days helping to open the lanes , a party of us with shovels, singing and laughing.. One year a neighbouring farm vanished completely under a huge drift of snow, after we had dug out the farmer we helped him to dig tunnels under the snow to the cow sheds and the piggery. I shall never forget the squealing of those poor pigs as our shovels hit the door , they were so hungry, the farmer had been snowed in for two days. The snow formed a thick icy crust that year and above our farm you could touch the tops of the telegraph poles, there was still snow in the ditches that August. I hope I never grow up!

I gave myself a day off and apart from baking a toad in the hole for dinner I have done no other cooking today. I did do a little shopping , bits and pieces like candied papaya, dates and walnuts and more dried ginger. This time I bought a great bag of the stuff, ginger cakes are so popular this year and every one seems to want one, I am baking them three at a time these days.

Some time this afternoon was spent sticking jewels on to my sons fancy dress costume, it looks quite good but I do wish I had had more time as I would have liked to make a purple robe for this year. I used to make hundreds of costumes for panto years ago, it was such fun, especially animal costumes for shows like “Alice” I have performed in a few too, even more ages ago.

I do regret that I can no longer run about kicking up the snow and throwing snowballs, but there is a good deal to be said for watching the birds on the feeders and the cat chasing snow flakes while I fill the kitchen with the warm, lovely smell of baking, treats for those travellers returning from their snowy adventures. I am more than compensated by these more sedate delights, life has a way of giving us something in return for what it takes away.